Texas State Representative Garnet Coleman introduced H.B. 2056, a
bill to increase voter registration among high school and college
students. This legislation would require that every high school
designate individuals as deputy voter registrars to register students
at least twice during their senior year.

High school is one of the only common experiences enjoyed by all U.S.
citizens. As such it provides an excellent opportunity to perform voter
registration. A new approach to voter registration is important because
despite the large amount of money and time spent by political
campaigns, nonpartisan voter registration organizations and elected
officials nearly 1 out of every 3 U.S. citizens is not registered to
vote. Since most states including Texas require residents to register
to be eligible to vote, those who are not registered are effectively
shut out of the political process. A concentrated effort to register
all graduating high school students and those entering college will
lead to clean and complete voter rolls a benefit for state election
officials and empower young people become politically involved.